Can heat shield rattle cause steering wheel vibration?

no it wouldn't cause a steering wheel vibration, it's either tire balance or loose parts in the steering assembly.

NO. The entire exhaust system could be falling off and it wouldn't cause steering wheel vibration. Give yourself a break. Take the car to a dealer or trusted private mechanic and briefly explain what's going on. Don't be surprised if the wheels and tires are out of balance, or have a bent wheel, a loose tie-rod ends or the CV joints are shot.

Your question would receive better answers if you had taken time to list the year, make and model of the car.

Unfortunately, i'd still seem at the brake rotors. If they were replaced and then the wheels had been reinstalled utilising an air wrench the fallacious and uneven torquing of the lug nuts can warp new rotors virtually instantly. Warped rotors, on account that they're not obviously flat, reward pretty much hills and valleys for the pads to experience up an down on as you are braking. At sluggish speeds that is not terribly noticable. At excessive speeds, the hills and valleys come circular and circular a lot faster that the pads stand up and down very swiftly producing a powerful experience of pulsing or vibration. A further supply is a foul entrance to rear brake equalizer that thoroughly meters pressure between the front and rear programs. If it is not metering thoroughly, then one set of the brakes is also locking up, and if that set has an ABS method constructed in, the ABS system might be sensing the lock-up and pulsing the brakes quickly to break what it sees as a skid main issue. Nonetheless a further, but less doubtless source is a failing caliper that's locking up, but I feel that a long way much less likely.

fasten heat shield with some hose clamps to make it quiet. the rattle isn't causing the vibration, the vibration you're feeling is causing the rattle to be louder. usually vibration is caused by either a cylinder misfire, vacuum leak or more commonly low transmission fluid. do you have a check engine light on? try giving it a complete tune up (spark plugs, pcv valve, air filter, fuel filter, etc), fuel system cleaning, have timing belt or chain checked or replaced, make sure the transmission fluid is full. any of those can cause vibration. you should post what type of car it is for a more specific answer

Loose heat shields have nothing to do with the steering. Vibration in the steering wheel is one problem and rattling heat shields is another.

No, I don't think so. I had all of mine removed from my car because they all started rattling! They are pretty much pointless, so just have them removed. If your steering wheel is still vibrating, I would get that checked out!

Maybe start by securing the heat shield, then check the tire pressures and balance the tires, check for even tire tread wear, try driving again.

Check the wheel nuts for looseness. Maybe the final tightening of the wheel nuts was overlooked on reassembly.